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Health Director's Message

Public Health’s mission is to protect and promote health. This is accomplished through the prevention of disease and injury and the promotion of good health habits, to ensure a longer, healthier life. Striving to meet these challenges, the Health Department offers a wide range of services that are critical to the well being of our community. These diverse programs include those mandated by the State; such as communicable disease, public health planning, preparedness and response, environmental health and vital records. Other programs include a combination of direct health care services and community-wide programs. In addition, Health Department staff play a prominent role in partnering with the community to create innovative programs to address specific health problems, such as breast cancer awareness, childhood immunizations, injury prevention and dental care.

Today, there are many challenges facing the health status of our community including cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, teenage pregnancy, communicable disease, vector-borne disease, safe food and water, and dental care, as well as biological, chemical and radiological terrorism.

More than ever, it is the people…you…who can help keep our communities and our children safe and healthy. Every citizen has a responsibility to become informed and involved in ensuring a healthy future for themselves, their family and their community.

Robert R. Wittmann, M.P.H

Board of Health

The Moore County Board of Health is the policy making, rule-making and adjudicatory body for Moore County Health Department. The Board of Health has the responsibility to protect and promote the public health. It has the authority to adopt rules necessary for that purpose.

The Board is composed of eleven members that reasonably reflect the population makeup of the county. By law, the eleven members of the Board include eight designated professionals and three representatives of the general public. The members are appointed by the Moore County Board of Commissioners.

The Moore County Board of Health:

Follows North Carolina General Statutes.

The Board meets quarterly at the request of the Chair.

The Board shall be the policy-making, rule-making, and adjudicatory body for the Health Department.

The Board of County Commissioners shall appoint eleven (11) members, which shall include one (1) licensed physician, one (1) licensed dentist, one (1) licensed pharmacist, one (1) County Commissioner, one (1) professional engineer, one (1) registered nurse, one (1) licensed optometrist, one (1) licensed veterinarian, and three (3) persons from the general public. The composition shall reasonably reflect the population makeup of the entire County.

The Board of Health shall elect its own Chair annually. The County Health Director shall serve as Secretary to the County Board of Health.

Questions about the Board, meetings or appointments can be directed to the Secretary to the Board at 910-947-4500. Mr. Robert R. Wittmann, Health Director serves as the Secretary to the Board of Health.

MEMBER

Initial Date

of Appointment

Current Term

Expires

Tim Boyte, D.V.M. (Veterinarian)

1/2011

1/2020

Max Muse, R.N., M.E. (Nurse)

7/2014

4/2019

Warren Lewis (Member-at-Large) Vice Chair

8/2014

8/2020

Betty Goodridge, M.H.A., C.M.A. (Member-at-Large) Chair

2/2014

7/2019

Severt Jacobson, M.D. (Physician)

11/2013

12/2019

Michele P. Keel, O.D. (Optometrist)

7/2011

7/2020

Leo Santowasso, P.E., P.L.S. (Engineer)

3/2018

3/2021

Sharon Odom, R.T. (R) (Member-at-Large)

4/2016

4/2020

William Mang, PharmD (Pharmacist)

3/2016

3/2019

Kamron Monroe, D.D.S. (Dentist)

4/2013

4/2019

Louis Gregory (County Commissioner)

12/2016

Ex-Officio

The Moore County Board of Health Meeting Schedule 2018:

Meetings begin at 6:00 pm and are held in the Boardroom of the Moore County Health Department at 705 Pinehurst Avenue, Carthage, NC 28327.

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national program with community-based units.

MRC units across the nation give citizens interested in health issues a chance to volunteer locally.

The Moore County MRC was started by MooreHealth, Inc., a not-for-profit organization and is administered by the Moore County Health Department.

The Moore County MRC (MCMRC) is building a reserve of health professionals and other community members to strengthen our County’s ability to respond to local public health emergencies. The MCMRC also supports Moore County Health Department’s ongoing public health programs.

WHY DO WE NEED VOLUNTEERS?

A public health emergency in Moore County would require the help of many people. Large-scale incidents like hurricanes or a pandemic might overwhelm the Health Department staff quickly.

To be most effective, volunteers need to be organized and trained before an emergency!

Non-emergency public health programs like flu clinics, health fairs, and community outreach could also benefit from your ideas and skills.

The MRC is a specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Communities benefit from having MRC volunteers ready to respond to emergencies. People volunteer for many reasons, but some volunteer for the MRC because:

It's a way to offer their skills that might not have been used before because they were not adequately prepared to be part of the response effort.

It's a significant benefit to communities because skilled volunteers offer services during the year to augment existing public health efforts or provide emergency backup that would not otherwise be available.

It's a chance to belong to a group with a strong sense of mission and purpose.

It's a chance to qualify for special incentives (e.g., free training).

Volunteers are at the very heart of the MRC. The existence of this nationwide, community-based movement is due to the willingness of volunteer medical and public health professionals to serve their communities in times of need. Without that generous offer of service, there would be no MRC.

What can I expect to do if I volunteer?
During a large-scale disaster/emergency you might offer medical support at emergency shelters, assist in the operation of mass immunization clinics, or support regular, established medical response professionals. You may also be asked assist with on-going public health needs such as helping with education and prevention services or support staffing in community health centers.

What type of event would be considered a "large-scale emergency"?
Large-scale emergencies might include an influenza epidemic, act of terrorism, or a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, tornado or flood.

What types of training are available to MRC volunteers?
All MRC volunteers need to undergo some form of orientation to the MRC, which includes an overview of the system in which the MRC's activities occur, whether in relation to emergency response or public health, or both.

Support/administrative volunteers receive guidance on how to perform their particular functions, which vary depending on the needs of particular communities. They may need to participate in practice drills if their duties interface with those of the front-line/direct-service volunteers. Overall, the training includes support skills training, communications, public speaking, and Incident Command System, or other local command systems.

Volunteers can also recieve training in basic first aid, CPR, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

What happens if I'm not available to volunteer all the time?
MRC volunteers do not have to be available all the time. Some volunteers may only be interested in making a minimal commitment during times of crisis or for other specific community needs. These preferences are respected, given that they can be accommodated by the MRC unit's mission and work plan.

You can also download a copy of the MRC application here. Then, just print and send your completed application via mail or fax to the above address/number.

MooreHealth Inc.

MooreHealth is a volunteer community organization committed to developing cooperative planning that promotes health and improves the quality-of-life for the residents of Moore County. This organization, composed of representatives from a broad spectrum of the community, will provide a mechanism for innovative, cost-effective and challenging approaches for a healthier tomorrow by coordinating resources of Moore County for the greater benefit of its residents.

Our History

The Moore County Health Department and its governing body, The Moore County Board of Health, was organized in 1928. It was located in the present Historic Courthouse with a staff of three, a health director, a nurse and a clerk. The first health director was John M. Symington, M.D. He remained as health director until 1941.

In 1941, Benjamin M. Drake, M.D. became health director. He increased the health department space from two rooms to the entire third floor of the courthouse and established satellite clinics in Cameron and Robbins.

Jessie Willcox, M.D. became health director in 1943 and remained in that position until 1965. In 1951, the Health Department moved into a new health center at the corner of Ray and Saunders streets in Carthage.

The department continued to grow under the leadership of Alfred G. Siege, M.D. as health director from 1966 to 1985.

Robert R. Wittmann, M.P.H. became health director in 1985. In 1989 the department moved into its present facilities located at 705 Pinehurst Ave. in Carthage. The health department currently employs a staff of roughly 50 professionals representing a wide variety of health related disciplines. Programs and services include community health assessment, health promotion, communicable disease, epidemiology, personal health/clinical services, and environmental health.

Today the department is involved in a wide range of collaborative community health activities designed to protect and promote health through prevention and control of disease and injury.